Salem

13.3

Cruiser | U.S.A. | Tier X

Tech Tree Position

Battle Levels

12345678910

X

Special

Salem — American special premium Tier X cruiser.

A Des Moines-class heavy cruiser. Her main battery mounts were equipped with an auto-loading mechanism, which provided her with the greatest firepower among ships of her type. The cruiser's advantages included advanced radar equipment, powerful AA artillery, and reliable horizontal armor protection.

Salem was first released for sale with Update 0.7.6 and is available exclusively via the Arsenal.

Modules

	Rate of Fire (shots/min)	180° Turn Time (sec)	Maximum Dispersion (m)	Maximum HE Shell Damage (HP)	Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell (%)	Maximum AP Shell Damage (HP)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
203 mm/55 RF Mk.16 in a turret	10.9	30	142	2,800	14	5,000		0	0

	Hit Points (HP)	Armor (mm)	Armor (mm)	Main Turrets (pcs.)	Secondary Gun Turrets (pcs.)	AA Mounts (pcs.)	Torpedo Tubes (pcs.)	Hangar Capacity (pcs.)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Salem	49,700	6	203	3	6	12/6				0	0

	IDS_SHIP_PARAM_SUO_INCREASE_DIST (%)	Maximum Firing Range (km)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Mk10 mod. 1		0		0	0

	Maximum Speed (knot)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Propulsion: 120,000 hp	33		0	0

Compatible Upgrades

Slot 1
Slot 2
Slot 3
Slot 4
Slot 5
Slot 6

Player Opinion

Performance

The first Tier X premium in the game, Salem plays almost exactly like her tech tree sister Des Moines, albeit with a tad more survivability at the trade off of less utility. Captains familiar with the American heavy cruiser branch should adapt to Salem’s minor quirks fairly quickly.

The largest difference between the two comes in the form of consumable choices. Des Moines can choose between Surveillance Radar  (with a 9.9 km range), Catapult Fighter , or Spotting Aircraft  for her Slot 3 consumable, and equips the standard version of Repair Party ; Salem — who wasn't completed with her aircraft catapults installed — eschews aircraft entirely and has access to either Surveillance Radar  (with a 7.5 km range) or Hydroacoustic Search  in Slot 3, and equips a Repair Party  that is better than a standard one. Most other vital statistics remain identical — or roughly comparable — between the two.

The primary trait of Salem is her absurd rate of fire for a heavy cruiser: each of her barrels loads a fresh 203mm round every 5.5 seconds. The speed at which she pummels enemy targets is a sight to behold, whether she is punishing an enemy destroyer caught by her radar, or pumping super-heavy American armor-piercing shells into the sides of enemy cruisers and battleships. Enemy aircraft carriers don't enjoy seeing a Salem on the other team either; her impressive AA suite is only a touch worse than Des Moines’, as Salem here is rendered without her short-range 20mm Oerlikons. With good handling characteristics and the utility offered by her consumables, Salem is an excellent support ship and a late-game terror. She serves equally well as both an anti-air and anti-destroyer screening vessel; however, unlike Des Moines, Salem’s radar is not nearly as useful in assisting in the destruction of enemy destroyers due to it's shorter range.

Like her sister ship, learning to use Salem’s main battery guns to their fullest requires a bit of time and adaptation. The high shell arcs and long flight times at medium to long range give her both advantages and disadvantages that other Tier X cruisers lack. She is capable of sitting behind an island and using her high shell arcs to lob shells at distant targets from cover, or — more commonly — snuggle up to an island and point her bow at the enemy, while presenting a relatively small target profile. Exploiting this technique allows captains to turn a disadvantage into an advantage. Lobbing armor-piercing shells at bigger targets such as battleships can deal a surprising amount of damage in such a short time; however, captains should only do so when Salem is close enough to have the rounds deal maximum penetration.

Salem possesses a stronger Repair Party  than Des Moines, functioning identical to that of British cruisers of Tiers VIII-X. When it comes to taking fire damage, Salem is functionally immune: her heal can repair up to four full duration fires (damage from the HE shells that triggered the fires not withstanding). While the Repair Party  gives her more flexibility and survivability in the event of positioning mistakes, captains should not be relying it to keep them alive in situations that Des Moines couldn't survive.

Unlike most other Tier X cruisers, Salem cannot effectively fight as an anti-surface combatant in open water, and her slower shell speeds prevent her from faring well in ranged firefights. Instead, captains should focus on playing defensively during the initial stages of a game, and choose areas of the map that provide hard cover and allow them to fight enemies on their own terms at short and medium range. Despite lacking a torpedo armament, the closer Salem gets to a target, the more dangerous she becomes. It should not come as a surprise that if played right, Salem can dictate the early flow of a battle, then become more aggressive in the mid- and late-game stages, quickly mopping up the enemy team with her withering rate of fire. This isn't the only way to play Salem, of course, but it's a common one; captains should adjust their play style depending on the situation to give their team the best chance of winning. Knowing when to go defensive or aggressive is key to conning Salem to victory.

LittleWhiteMouse's Premium Ship Review: Salem from the NA forums

Pros:

Fast firing guns, like her sister ship (5.5 seconds base reload).
27mm of armor protects against 15-inch guns, citadel is protected by a thick 152mm belt.
Strong AA (though slightly weaker than Des Moines).
High shell arcs give her guns a lot of utility.
Buffed Repair Party  gives Salem much more survivability when compared to Des Moines (up to 48% of her health pool restored by each charge).
AP shells have more forgiving angles for ricochet prevention.
Very high chances to set fires.

Cons:

High shell arcs make leading shots more difficult.
Citadel is above water and easy to hit when showing broadside, and all 16 inch guns can overmatch her armor.
Salem shares the same Surveillance Radar  as Atlanta, with short duration (25 seconds) and range (8.5 km).
No torpedoes; must rely on guns for damage.
Lack of torpedo defense.
Very short ranged for a Tier X cruiser with a stock reach of 15.8km and no Spotter Aircraft consumable.
Slow turret rotation for a cruiser.

Research

As a premium ship, Salem doesn't have any upgrades to research.

Optimal Configuration

Upgrades

The recommended upgrades for Salem are as follows:

Slot 1: Main Armaments Modification 1 *
Slot 2: Damage Control System Modification 1 
Slot 3: Aiming Systems Modification 1 *
Slot 4: Steering Gears Modification 2
Slot 5: Concealment System Modification 1 
Slot 6: Main Battery Modification 3 *

Slot 1 provides Salem with two viable options. Main Armaments Modification 1 should be mounted to increase the survivability of the main armament. This upgrade is useful for any chosen build; however, captains specifically seeking to specialize in anti-aircraft duties may choose to mount Auxiliary Armaments Modification 1 to increase the survivability of the anti-aircraft armament.

Slot 3 allows for further specialization in the desired role. For builds focusing on gunnery, Aiming Systems Modification 1 is a prudent choice to reduce dispersion, thereby increasing the chance of landing a citadel hit with a well-placed shot. For anti-aircraft duties, players should mount AA Guns Modification 2 ().

Slot 6 provides Salem with further specialization in her chosen role. Main Battery Modification 3 is an excellent choice to reduce the reload time of her main guns, providing her with a higher DPM. Gun Fire Control System Modification 2 may be a useful choice for captains looking to set fires at very long range. To finalize an anti-aircraft build, mount Template:AA Guns Modification 3.

Commander Skills

As Salem shares many of the same characteristics as Des Moines, key skills for Salem commanders are the same: Jack of All Trades, Superintendent, and Advanced Firing Training.

Recommended Commander Skills
Cost (points)	Endurance		Attack		Support		Versatility
1	Priority Target Situational Awareness indicator will show the number of opponents currently aiming at you with main battery guns. ★★★	Preventative Maintenance -30% to the risk of incapacitation of main turrets, torpedo tubes, steering gear, engines. ★★	Expert Loader -50% to reload time when shell type is switched.	Air Supremacy -5% aircraft restoration time.	Direction Center for Fighters +1 fighter to carrier fighter squadrons or catapult fighters.	Improved Engine Boost +10% Aircraft engine boost time.	Incoming Fire Alert Indicator of long-range enemy artillery fire. ★	Last Gasp Completely restores the engine boost for the last attack flight of the carrier's planes.
2	High Alert -10% to reload time of Damage Control Party consumable. ★	Jack of All Trades -5% to reload time of all consumables. ★★★	Expert Marksman +2.5 deg/sec to traverse speed of guns with a caliber up to 139mm. +0.7 deg/sec to traverse speed of guns with a caliber above 139mm. ★★	Torpedo Acceleration +5 knots to torpedo speed. -20% to torpedo range.	Smoke Screen Expert +20% to the radius of the smoke screen.	Improved Engines +2.5% Squadron speed.	Adrenaline Rush -0.2% to reload times of all types of armament for each 1% of total health lost. +0.2% squadron speed for each 1% of total health lost. ★★★	Last Stand The ship remains able to move and maneuver while the engine or steering gears are incapacitated.
3	Basics of Survivability -15% to time of repair, fire extinguishing, and recovery from flooding. ★	Survivability Expert +350 ship HP for each ship tier. +15 aircraft HP for each ship tier. ★	Torpedo Armament Expertise -10% to reload time of torpedo tubes.	Aircraft Armor Reduces continuous damage to aircraft in all AA defense zones. -10% continuous damage.	Basic Firing Training -10% to reload time of main battery guns with a caliber up to and including 139mm and all secondary battery guns. +10% to continuous damage from AA guns. ★★	Superintendent +1 additional charge to all consumables mounted on a ship. ★★★	Demolition Expert +2% chance of HE shells causing a fire on target. +1% chance of rockets causing a fire on target. +5% chance of HE bombs causing a fire on target. ★★★	Vigilance +25% to detection range of enemy torpedoes. ★
4	Manual Fire Control for Secondary Armament Tightens dispersion of shells from secondary batteries. -15% for Tier I-VI ships. -60% for Tier VII-X ships. Manually selected target only.	Fire Prevention -10% to the risk of fire. The maximum number of fires on a ship is reduced to three.	Inertia Fuse for HE Shells +30% to the armor penetration capacity of HE shells. -1% chance of fire on target caused by shells <=139mm. -3% chance of fire on target caused by shells >139mm.	Sight Stabilization Speeds up the aiming of a carrier's aircraft. +5% attack aircraft aiming speed. +5% torpedo bomber aiming speed. +10% dive bomber aiming speed.	Advanced Firing Training +20% to firing range of main battery guns with a caliber up to 139mm and all secondary battery guns. +15% damage/sec. within the explosion radius of shells fired from long-range AA defenses. ★★★	Massive AA Fire Instantaneous Damage +100%. Priority AA sector cooldown +50%.	Radio Position Finding Shows the direction to the nearest enemy ship. The enemy is alerted that a bearing has been taken. ★★	Concealment Expert -10% to the detection radius of all ships and aircraft. ★★★
Key: ★★★ - Extremely Useful ★★ - Frequently Useful ★ - Occasionally Useful No stars - Meh Χ - Not recommended

Consumables

Salem can equip the following consumables:

Slot 1: Damage Control Party 
Slot 2: Defensive AA Fire 
Slot 3: Surveillance Radar  or Hydroacoustic Search 
Slot 4: Repair Party

Premium version of all consumables are useful to reduce the cooldowns. Salem has the option to choose between Surveillance Radar  and Hydroacoustic Search ; Surveillance Radar  is useful for exposing enemy ships that are concealed near her, and Hydroacoustic Search  is useful for detecting torpedoes.

Camouflage

As a premium ship, Salem comes included with Type 10 camouflage that lowers her detection radius, reduces the accuracy of incoming shells, and increases the amount of experience she earns.

Signals

Salem captains should mount standard signal flags to improve the ship's performance in battle. India Delta () and November Foxtrot () flags are highly recommended to improve the ship's survivability. Sierra Mike () flags are also recommended to increase the ship's top speed. India X-Ray () and Victor Lima () signal flags can be mounted to improve the ship's main battery. Lastly, economic and special signal flags can be mounted to increase the ship's economic gains per battle.

Recommended Signal Flags
Combat
Juliet Charlie -100% to the risk of magazine detonation. ★	Juliet Yankee Bissotwo -20% to flooding duration. ★	India Yankee -20% to fire duration. ★★	Hotel Yankee -20% to damage received when ramming the enemy. +50% to damage dealt when ramming the enemy.	Victor Lima +1% chance for HE bombs and shells with a caliber above 160mm causing a fire. +0.5% chance for bombs and smaller shells causing a fire. +4% chance of torpedoes causing flooding. ★★	India X-Ray +1% chance for HE bombs and shells with a caliber above 160mm causing a fire. +0.5% chance for bombs and smaller shells causing a fire. +5% to the risk of your ship's magazine detonating. ★
Juliet Whiskey Unaone +15% chance of causing flooding. +5% to the risk of your ship's magazine detonating.	Mike Yankee Soxisix +5% to secondary battery maximum firing range. -5% to maximum dispersion of secondary battery shells. -5% to secondary battery loading time.	November Echo Setteseven +5% continuous AA damage at all ranges. +5% damage from flak bursts. ★★	Sierra Mike +5% to the ship's maximum speed. ★★★	November Foxtrot -5% reload time on all consumables. ★★	India Delta +20% to the amount of HP recovered when Repair Party  is used. ★★★
X-Ray Papa Unaone +10% action time of a Smoke Generator .	Sierra Bravo +10% action time of Hydroacoustic Search  -10% reload time of Defensive AA Fire .

Note: Use of the Juliet Charlie signal makes detonation impossible.

Gallery

Historical Info

Ships of U.S.A.

Destroyers	II Sampson • II Smith • III Wickes • IV Clemson • V Nicholas • V Hill • VI Farragut • VI Monaghan • VII Mahan • VII Sims • VII Sims B • VIII Benson • VIII Kidd • IX Fletcher • IX Benham • IX Halford • IX Black B • IX Black • X Gearing • X Somers • X Forrest Sherman • ★ Joshua Humphreys
Cruisers	I Erie • II Chester • II Albany • III St. Louis • III Charleston • IV Phoenix • V Omaha • V Marblehead • V Marblehead Lima • V Rattlehead • VI Pensacola • VI Dallas • VII Atlanta • VII New Orleans • VII Helena • VII Indianapolis • VII Atlanta B • VII Boise • VII Flint • VIII Baltimore • VIII Cleveland • VIII Wichita • VIII Anchorage • VIII Congress • VIII Rochester • VIII San Diego • VIII AL Montpelier • IX Buffalo • IX Seattle • IX Vallejo • IX Alaska • IX Tulsa • IX Alaska B • X Des Moines • X Worcester • X Puerto Rico • X Salem • X Austin • ★ Annapolis
Battleships	III South Carolina • IV Wyoming • IV Arkansas Beta • V New York • V Oklahoma • V Texas • VI New Mexico • VI Arizona • VI W. Virginia '41 • VII Colorado • VII Florida • VII West Virginia '44 • VII California • VIII North Carolina • VIII Kansas • VIII Nebraska • VIII Alabama • VIII Massachusetts • VIII Alabama VL • VIII Constellation • VIII Massachusetts B • VIII Alabama ST • VIII North Carolina CLR • IX Iowa • IX Minnesota • IX Delaware • IX Missouri • IX Kearsarge • IX Illinois • IX Kearsarge B • IX Georgia • X Montana • X Vermont • X Louisiana • X Ohio • X Rhode Island • X Wisconsin • ★ Maine
Aircraft Carriers	IV Langley • VI Independence • VI Ranger • VIII Yorktown • VIII Lexington • VIII Enterprise • VIII Saipan • VIII Hornet • VIII Saipan B • X Essex • X Midway • X Franklin D. Roosevelt • ★ United States

Cruisers

Japan	I Hashidate • II Chikuma • III Tenryū • III Katori • IV Yūbari • IV Kuma • IV Iwaki Alpha • V Furutaka • V Agano • V Yahagi • VI Aoba • VI Gokase • VII Myōkō • VII Omono • VII Tokachi • VII Maya • VII ARP Myōkō • VII ARP Ashigara • VII ARP Haguro • VII Southern Dragon • VII Eastern Dragon • VII ARP Nachi • VIII Mogami • VIII Tone • VIII Atago • VIII Shimanto • VIII Atago B • VIII ARP Takao • VIII ARP Maya • IX Ibuki • IX Takahashi • IX Azuma • IX AL Azuma • IX Chikuma II • X Zaō • X Yodo • X Yoshino • X Yoshino B • X Kitakami
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France	I Bougainville • II Jurien de la Gravière • III Friant • IV Duguay-Trouin • V Émile Bertin • VI La Galissonnière • VI De Grasse • VI Dupleix • VI Montcalm • VII Algérie • VII Toulon • VIII Charles Martel • VIII Cherbourg • VIII Bayard • IX Saint-Louis • IX Brest • IX Carnot • X Henri IV • X Marseille • X Colbert • ★ Condé
U.S.S.R.	I Orlan • II Diana • II Diana Lima • II Novik • III Aurora • III Bogatyr • III Oleg • III Varyag • III AL Avrora • IV Svietlana • V Murmansk • V Kotovsky • V Krasny Krym • V Mikoyan • V Kirov • VI Budyonny • VI Molotov • VI Admiral Makarov • VII Shchors • VII Lazo • VII Lazo B • VIII Chapayev • VIII Tallinn • VIII Mikhail Kutuzov • VIII Ochakov • VIII Pyotr Bagration • VIII Dmitry Pozharsky • IX Dmitri Donskoi • IX Riga • IX Kronshtadt • X Moskva • X Alexander Nevsky • X Petropavlovsk • X Stalingrad • X Smolensk B • X Smolensk • X Sevastopol • X Kommissar • ★ Novosibirsk
U.S.A.	I Erie • II Chester • II Albany • III St. Louis • III Charleston • IV Phoenix • V Omaha • V Marblehead • V Marblehead Lima • V Rattlehead • VI Pensacola • VI Dallas • VII Atlanta • VII New Orleans • VII Helena • VII Indianapolis • VII Atlanta B • VII Boise • VII Flint • VIII Baltimore • VIII Cleveland • VIII Wichita • VIII Anchorage • VIII Congress • VIII Rochester • VIII San Diego • VIII AL Montpelier • IX Buffalo • IX Seattle • IX Vallejo • IX Alaska • IX Tulsa • IX Alaska B • X Des Moines • X Worcester • X Puerto Rico • X Salem • X Austin • ★ Annapolis
Germany	I Hermelin • II Dresden • II Emden • III Kolberg • IV Karlsruhe • V Königsberg • VI Nürnberg • VI Admiral Graf Spee • VI Leipzig • VI HSF Admiral Graf Spee • VII Yorck • VII München • VII Weimar • VIII Admiral Hipper • VIII Prinz Eugen • VIII Mainz • VIII Schill • VIII Mainz B • VIII Cross of Dorn • VIII Wiesbaden • IX Roon • IX Siegfried • IX Ägir • IX Admiral Schröder • IX Roon CLR • X Hindenburg • ★ Clausewitz
Pan-Asia	I Chengan • III Ning Hai • V Chungking • VI Rahmat • VI Huanghe • VII Chumphon • VIII Harbin • VIII Irian • VIII Wukong • IX Sejong • IX Dalian • IX Mengchong • IX Tianjin • X Jinan
Spain	I Júpiter • II Méndez Núñez • III Navarra • IV Almirante Cervera • V Galicia • VI Baleares • VI Canarias • VII Asturias • VIII Cataluña • VIII Numancia • IX Andalucía • X Castilla
Europe	I Gryf • VI Elli
Netherlands	I Van Kinsbergen • II Gelderland • III Java • IV De Ruyter • V Celebes • VI Kijkduin • VII Eendracht • VIII Haarlem • VIII De Zeven Provinciën • IX Johan de Witt • IX Van Speijk • X Gouden Leeuw • X Prins van Oranje
Italy	I Eritrea • II Nino Bixio • III Taranto • IV Alberto di Giussano • V Raimondo Montecuccoli • V Genova • VI Trento • VI Duca d'Aosta • VII Zara • VII Duca degli Abruzzi • VII Francesco Ferruccio • VII Gorizia • VIII Amalfi • IX Brindisi • IX Michelangelo • X Venezia • X Napoli • X Napoli B • ★ Piemonte
Commonwealth	I Sutlej • II Port Jackson • III Caradoc • IV Dunedin • V Delhi • VI Hobart • VI Perth • VI Mysore • VII Uganda • VIII Auckland • IX Encounter • IX Hector • X Cerberus • X Brisbane
Pan-America	I Hércules • II Almirante Barroso • II Almirante Abreu • III Vicente Guerrero • IV Córdoba • V La Argentina • VI Almirante Cochrane • VII Coronel Bolognesi • VII Nueve de Julio • VIII Ignacio Allende • VIII Almirante Grau • IX Santander • X San Martín

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